


A Father's Pride

by wingsofthenight



Series: A New Dawn [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arianne Martell Week 2020, Father-Daughter Relationship, Fluff, Gen, In This House We Let Arianne and Doran Have a Good Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:42:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27884707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingsofthenight/pseuds/wingsofthenight
Summary: Arianne visits her father in King's Landing not long before her coming of age, and her father reassures her of how glad he is that she is there to rule Dorne while he is gone.
Series: A New Dawn [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2041693
Comments: 7
Kudos: 22
Collections: Southern Renaissance (Dorne Renaissance)





	A Father's Pride

**Author's Note:**

> For Arianne week on tumblr!

Arianne sometimes wondered if all Hands of the King (or, in this case, technically the Hand of the Queen Regent) decorated their public solar to be as homely as her father did.

Prince Doran lit incense for a brief time before he came in each morning, had all of furniture be colorful ones of Dornish make, and covered the walls with both painted and woven tapestries he brought from their homeland, ones that he changed every other moon. Currently he had ones that depicted the shores outside of the Water Gardens and scenes depicting the rule of Prince Ryon, who had spent years of his rule fighting in the Red Mountains, repelling both bandits and armies sent by the Storm and Gardener Kings, leaving his own daughter, the Princess Dorea, as regent and later Ruling Princess in his stead.

“The thought has crossed my mind that perhaps I should do as our ancestor did and simply abdicate in favor of you when your sixteenth nameday comes, due to how long I have been gone and how suited you are to be the Princess of Dorne.”

“What?!” Arianne exclaimed, whirling around from where she had been admiring the tapestry depicting that event to stare at her father.

Doran simply gave her a small but warm smile as he tapped a sheet of paper on his desk. “Your uncle has sent many reports to me, telling of how suited you are to be Princess of Dorne.”

She did her best to hide her blush, averting her eyes from her father. “You should not listen to everything Tío Oby says,” she said dryly. “He and Tía Ellaria had already extensively planned their vacation to the Summer Isles and beyond the moment he shoves the regency on me.” She paused, then added, “And once my newest cousin is able to travel, of course.”

“As he has asked for my input in his plans, I am well aware,” her father replied, equally as dryly. “My dear younger brother is not the only one that has told me this, however. In fact, I have heard much praise over that situation two moons ago.”

It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about. “The one with the Yronwood and Fowler cousins? I don’t see what was so special about it.”

“Their argument could have easily spiraled into an issue that would have caused a political nightmare. Your uncle was in Planky Town at the time, and your mother was here with me. No one would have expected you to go out of your way to resolve it, especially with the enmity the two Houses have, and yet you did. You managed to make them sit down and explain sides of the story. When Oberyn returned, you were the one that suggested the solution he chose to go with. I was sent praise of how you handled the situation by every single member of our family. I do not believe that the praise you were given is anything but warranted, for you handled the situation beautifully.”

Arianne was Dornish. Water was a precious commodity, one that was not wasted lightly, and tears were counted in that at times.

That did not mean she did not tear up the slightest bit when her father stood and walked towards her, taking her hands and smiling gently at her. “You are well loved in Dorne, my little princess, and that love is in no way undeserved. I have no qualms about leaving you in charge while I am away.”

Arianne disliked her height, being the shortest person in her family besides her mother. But the way she felt so safe and warm in her father’s embrace, as if he would never let anything harm her, no matter how old she was? That was something she would never tire of.

“All I have ever wanted was to make you proud, to be the Princess you wish for me to be,” she admitted in a whisper.

“I am, and you are, Arianne. Words cannot describe how much I am proud of the woman you are becoming,” her father said gently. “It is I that should be worried of my reception when I am relieved of my post here, for I believe you are far better loved than a man that has made only brief trips to the land he is meant to rule for the past decade.”

“Papa, that is not true!” Arianne protested, pulling back just enough to look him in the eyes. “Our homeland loves you. And you are here because you need to be, because my aunt and cousins need someone they can trust. You have helped keep peace in the realm, and our land loves you for it.”

There was nothing but warmth in the way her father looked down at her and laid a hand on her cheek. “I feel that it is nothing compared to the Princess that has tirelessly worked to know Dorne, and I feel no shame in that fact,” he said with love clear in his voice.

Arianne could not find any words that could rise above the lump in her throat. In lieu of searching for more, she buried her face in her father’s chest again, willing her tears not to fall.

If she had her father’s love, she would be able to weather any storm that came, and she was relieved to know that she did in this world.

**Author's Note:**

> If you're curious, Oberyn does not want to be Prince Regent of Dorne and is kind of annoyed he has to be, but if he didn't feel like Arianne was up for it quite yet he wouldn't be so wiling to run off as soon as he can manage.
> 
> Just so you know, Doran will not abdicate in favor of Arianne. These particular tapestries just happened to be the ones they hanged and it brought the idea to his mind.
> 
> Also, poor Arianne is short. Only her mom is shorter, and she doesn't even hit five feet.  
> Well, okay, her baby brother and younger cousins are still shorter, but they're still growing and she has no hope they won't be taller than her because Trystane is a boy and the younger sand snakes' mom is Ellaria, who is a pretty tall woman. She feels she should have prayed for height along with beauty :(


End file.
